Developed in the 1970s at the University of California, Santa Cruz, by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is a methodology for using language and behavioral patterns to connect the conscious and subconscious mind. The practice is meant to help people understand their own minds and how they came to think the way they do. By examining perceived past failures, fears, or phobias, NLP explains that the way one views the world affects what one does in the world.